You Only Know You Love Her
by Dear Pigfarts. Love the Doctor
Summary: Harry and Ginny end up with three beautiful children, but where do they begin? (Written for the Flying Lessons)
1. Never Let Her Go

**Never Let Her Go**

The walls were strewn across the floor as Harry made his way across the entrance hall, his head pounding with an enormous headache which had been building since the apex of the fight as the adrenaline slowly wore off. His eyes were now searching for the familiar red hair of the Weasley family – though a specific head he was looking for. Finally he spotted her by the back of the room. She crouched with a small hand clutched in hers. He noticed her red cheeks as he approached; with red, puffy eyes to match.

The short walk across the hall took him an eternity as every couple steps he was stopped by another group of students congratulating him on their win, or parents thanking him for 'saving' their child. The worst was when one of the DA told him of the casualties.  
"We've lost three members and over…" Harry had had enough. He pushed through the crowd of chattering wizards and witches and almost ran the rest of the length of the hall.

Finally he stood before her, a small smile forming on his lips. This fleeting happiness faded as he looked at the form of Colin Creevey, suddenly looking so small in death. Had she been his friend? Her breathing was slow and calm, but every few breaths hitched as a sob threatened to heave her chest. Harry knelt beside her, his hand lying softly on top of hers. She jumped slightly at the touch, her eyes darting to his face.  
"Are you okay?" He whispered; they were so close that he could smell her flowery scent. Ginny shook her head and leant into him, her head resting against his grimy shoulder.  
"'S too many g-," a small hiccough escaped her throat, "-goodbyes!" She softly wailed, fresh tears fell across her cheeks as she pressed herself closer to him, her breathing becoming uneven and shallow. Harry rubbed her shoulders softly, his arm surrounding her without hesitation.

They sat in each other's arms for a few minutes before Harry finally said, "Gin, can we talk… privately?" His eyes scanned the packed hall and saw no place of pure peace. While many had left, or abandoned the ruin of a castle for medical attention or the comfort of their family homes, others had remained – some still scared to be alone with their thoughts or memories of the last few months. There was an awkward silence that was cut through with even more awkward chatter as those who remained tried to fill in the void of the dead. Ginny nodded in answer to Harry's question and they walked together, undisturbed, from the hall. It seemed that finally those remaining understood that 'the Chosen one' needed some 'alone time'.

They finally settled beneath a large tree overlooking the lake. There was a stillness to the water, as if it were waiting for the next round of chaos. They both let out a soft breath, their eyes trained on the shimmering water.  
"What did you want to say?" she finally said, turning to face Harry. His tongue was caught and his voice refused to sound as he looked at her. The light caught her hair and made the orange shine like fire in the rising sun. She was so beautiful.  
"I guess I just needed some space, but not to be alone." Ginny smiled and Harry's heart stopped.  
"I'll always be here for you," she whispered, returning to her place on his shoulder and looked back out across the water.

* * *

After a few days of barely seeing each other, the Weasleys finally found themselves around the one table again; two extra chairs pulled up to accommodate the honorary Weasleys, Hermione and Harry. Everyone was silent as they tried not to stare at the two empty seats around the ever-shifting table. Side-by-side, the seats stood as a reminder of what they lost. One brother now gone forever – the other brother driven to depression over their loss. The emptiness hung in the air; the whole house felt so empty yet suffocatingly full.

Harry and Ginny had constantly tried to talk to each other about their… 'feelings', but every time they were interrupted by a nosy family member or suddenly developed cold feet.

Tired of the back and forward 'not-actually-talking-to-each-other-or-saying-anything-substantial' battle they seemed to be having, Harry finally went to his best friend for help. It just so happened that his best friend was also Ginny's brother, Ron.  
"What should I do, man?" He sighed, falling onto the Chudley Cannons bed-sheet that covered the small bed in the attic where they slept. Harry's temporary bed was set up on the floor, though it had become more permanent as time moved on and Harry had no relatives to return to.  
"I think you just need to be honest, " Ron paused as he turned from his seat by the window to look at his best friend. "Do you see yourself dating her?" Harry considered this question as he stared at the dusty ceiling.  
"Yes! But everything is so hectic at the moment," he sighed, and looked up as he felt a shift in the mattress; Ron had joined him on the bed.  
"Then tell her that?" Harry nodded, thanking Ron for his advice, who continued: "I can't believe I'm giving you advice on dating my sister." Harry smiled as he moved to the door. Before he could reach for the handle, however, he heard his friend whisper something.  
"Do you actually love her?" Harry did not turn back, but continued walking as though he hadn't heard. _Did he?_

* * *

They received the news two weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts. Filius Flitwick had succumbed to his injuries and had sadly died. This final death shocked everyone in the Weasley house and the quiet sadness blanketed itself once more over the family. They returned to Hogwarts to say goodbye to their teacher and mourn the losses of the war.

They all took in the worn down mess that was once the magnificent castle. The rubble had been removed from the grounds and the castle just looked abandoned. Crowds of people swarmed to the lake where Dumbledore's cracked marble tomb lay, with layers of protection covering the white surface once more. A smaller grey, stone tomb lay next to his. McGonagall explained that no one knew what Flitwick's burial wishes were, so they laid him to rest on the grounds of the school he dedicated his life to, and next to his mentor and long-time friend.

Harry sat listening to the service next to Ron and Hermione, but his eyes continuously darted to Ginny, who was sitting down the row with her head on her father's shoulder. Finally everyone had said what they needed to and guests had started taking their leave. Harry took a deep breath and approached Ginny with a sad smile.  
"Can we go for a walk?" He asked softly. There was a soft breeze as they walked away from the buzz of the guests and Harry could feel his heart pounding in his chest. After a moment Ginny turned to him, and he could see that she had been crying. He opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand.  
"If you're going to tell me that for some _stupid_ reason, we can't be together – then just close your mouth." He did. They both took deep breaths. Ginny shook her head, but Harry tried to explain.  
"I really care for you and I know that everything is crazy right now – but I finally feel that I can be honest with you!" She just stared at him as he spoke, showing little emotion. She crossed her arms across her chest and shifted on her feet. "I feel that I don't deserve to find love and be happy when so many of our friends," indicates to tomb, "and," he chokes softly on the word, "family… can't." There were suddenly tears in her eyes and Harry knew she was thinking of Fred. Harry nodded, pulling her into his arms and rubbed her back, trying to sooth her.

* * *

Harry finally moved out of the Wealseys' house, taking advantage of the empty apartment left to him by his godfather; Grimmauld place. He had been trying to clean it up a bit, with the help of Kreacher, but the dust seemed to have worked its way into the wood since the last time he was here.

He remembered that time so clearly. They were preparing to break into the Ministry; stupid plan really. Harry's eyes watered as he dusted another shelf, the particles flying into his eyes. After shaking out his grey hair, discoloured with all the dust and grime, he made his way to the kitchen. There, sitting on the counter, was something he had never noticed. A photo frame. Harry rubbed the glass clean and stared at it. It contained a photo of so many smiling people. The new Order of the Phoenix – including all of the Weasley kids, and himself. His eyes were drawn to the smiling face of the youngest Weasley. And as their eyes met and her smile brightened as she waved at him. Suddenly Harry knew what a fool he had been. Of course he loved her!

* * *

Harry landed just outside the Weasley's fence, slightly disoriented by the disapperation. Once he got his bearing he ran forward, jumping over the fence, not wasting any time. He burst into the house and looked around frantically. At that moment Ron descended the stairs. His eyes landed on Harry and his brow furrowed.  
"Harry…?"  
"Ron! Where is she?"  
"In the garden, I think. Why?" Harry shook his head, racing past his friend and into the gardens out the back of the house.

Harry's heart stopped as he saw her. She was sitting in the sun, causing her hair to come to life around her, her eyes focused on the book in her lap. Harry could not remember seeing anything as beautiful, or calming, as what lay before him. It took all the courage he had to continue walking until he stood before her. She noticed his presence and looked up, her face shifting into an expression of complete confusion. Her lips were still forming the word, "What?" when he blurted:  
"I love you."

She just looked at him, her mouth hanging open in shock. She stood, her face still showing no signs of reaction other than surprise. Harry could not breathe as he waited for her to say something.  
"I love you too, dummy!" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry let out the breath he had been holding and pressed his face into her shoulder, a deep sigh falling from his lips. His arms wrapped around her and held her tight to his body.  
"Thank god!" He whispered, leaning back to look at her. Her eyes were shining as she smiled at him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, feeling so elated that it barely seemed real. The kiss was explosive, their first since the war yet both knew that it would not be their last.

 _'You only know you love her then you let her go, and you let her go.'_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ Written for the Flying lessons - beginnings :) **

**Also the 'take a prompt, leave a prompt' challenge - _you only know you love her when you let her go_**


	2. Don't Leave

**Don't Leave**

There are some things you just can't go through without being affected; a death in the family, a life threatening experience, war. It is almost as hard to watch someone go through these things, but having to experience them yourself and all the while supporting those around you – that can be exhausting. Harry Potter, war hero and celebrity at the young age of 18, already feels the weight of this difficult task.

* * *

The room had the stench of extended inactivity and the air stunk of smoke. Ginny scrunched her nose at the smell and toed dirty clothes out of the way as she made her way across the lounge room of Grimmauld place.  
"Harry?" the call echoed down the hall as Ginny made her way into the kitchen. The first thing she noticed was the dishes that seemed to litter the benches and tables.  
"Kreacher?" She had become worried – Harry's messy habits were known to her, but Kreacher never seemed the kind to leave without cleaning up a mess. Unless he was asked not to. Ginny sighed deeply as she finally laid eyes on Harry, who sat slouched at the end of the long kitchen table that covered the expanse of the stone floor.  
"Harry, what's going on?" She questioned, her concern clearly discernable through her tone. "No one has seen you for days?" Without a sound, Harry waved her comment away with a flick of his hand, letting it fall back to where it had been laying – clutching the crystal glass of a goblet. What it held, Ginny had no difficulty guessing.

"Harry, you have to listen to me! This is not healthy!" Her eyes were wide as she kneeled before him. Her hand was brushed off his shoulder before she could barely lay it on him.  
"Ginny, not now." He murmured, pouring himself another glass of Firewhiskey from the almost empty bottle that stood before him.  
"If not now, Harry, when? Going on like this… it could kill you."  
The glare Ginny received was one she wasn't expecting. Harry's eyes were glassy and red and he smelled worse than anything she had smelt for a long time.  
"Lots of people have tried, Gin. I don't think it's actually possible."  
"Harry, don't say things like that!" Ginny could barely believe what she was hearing. She took another look around the room. "Where's Kreacher?" She asked softly, her mind still rattling with questions.  
"I sent him away."  
"Away where?"  
"I don't know, wherever he decided I meant? I was very vague, he could be at Malfoys for all I know." His speech was slurred as he tried to get the sentence out and he looked at her like he had trouble focusing on anything – including her.  
"Harry, maybe you should get help –"

The bottle shattered against the wall, the liquid sizzling the paint as it dripped. Ginny jumped back, her breathing quickening.  
"Harry," she cautioned, her hands extended in front of her.  
"No, Ginny!" He breathed. "You don't understand!"  
"Understand?! How could I not understand?"  
"I don't need HELP! I need for this all to go away," his voice was harsh as he spat the words out, his hands gesturing around the room. Ginny noticed now all the papers that made up eighty percent of the mess in the kitchen. Littering the front pages of all of them was his face, accompanied by various titles and articles that held very little truth.

He clenched his hands in front of him.  
"I can't stop seeing them – all of them… lying there… dead." Harry shook his head, falling back into the chair and lifting the glass to his lips. He winced as the liquid ran down his throat.  
"Fine, I understand that you want me to leave!" Ginny sighed and swept from the room, taking one last chance to look back and see the expressionless eyes of Harry Potter staring at the glimmering liquid of his goblet with no acknowledgement of her departure.

* * *

The air was brisk as Ginny walked down the lane and back to the Burrow. She held her coat closer to her chest, the wind somehow making it through her clothes and chilling her to her bones. The day was grey and the clouds covered every inch of the sky as she walked. She carried bags of shopping with her and hummed a small tune as she went, but suddenly she saw something that made her stop.

There, leaning against the fence, was a slightly scruffy Harry Potter – his hair was a mess and his face needed shaving, but his clothes were at least clean.  
"Harry?"  
"Ginny, I –"  
She stopped dead, their eyes connected in a silent conversation that had been in making for weeks. The space between them seemed to stretch as the silence engulfed them. The wind stilled around them, as if it understood.

"Gin –" His voice was strained, as though he hadn't used it since they last spoke. With a few quick steps she was in his arms, her own wrapped around his neck – shopping lying forgotten on the ground.  
"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I never want you to leave."

* * *

 **A/N: Written for the Flying Lessons - A Good Landing.**

 **I do not own anything.**


	3. This is Not Perfection

**This is Not Perfection**

Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, her heart beating fast as she watched his every move. His knee hit the ground and his hands were sweaty as he held hers in front of them.  
"Harry…" She tried to speak, shaking her head slightly.  
"No, Gin. Please let me speak," he took a deep breath, his eyes boring into hers. "I have never met anyone like you; you're funny, smart, exciting, and fierce. Every moment with you is like I'm on fire. When you smile at me I can't breathe. Ginny Weasley, I love you, and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you… Will you let me?" He pulled out a small box with a diamond ring inside. She stared at him, then back at the ring.  
"What are you…?" She could barely breathe. Harry's eyebrows contracted as she pulled away, tugging her hands from his as she stepped back.  
"Ginny," he stood, taking a step forward.  
"No! Stop, Harry!" She was taking deep breaths, trying to get air into her lungs. "What do you think you are doing?" She asked as she looked back at him.  
"I just thought…"  
"No, I don't think you did!" She almost yelled, but dropped her voice as she looked around, trying not to make a scene. "I'm barely nineteen! Harry, we're just kids." Her eyes were wide as she tried to emphasise what she meant.

Harry stared at her.  
"After everything that has happened, I thought it would be best to live life like there wasn't that much left?" Harry tried to reason, fiddling with the closed ring box he now held in his hands.  
"When people say that, they usually mean travel! Not marriage!" She saw the look on his face as she said it and tried to back track. "Harry, I love you but –"  
"I get it! You don't want to marry me. Message understood." He turned from her and began to walk away.  
"Harry!" She reached for his arm, which he ripped out of her grip.  
"I have to go." Ginny watched him leave, tears springing to her eyes. She ran in the opposite direction and found herself outside Hermione's door.

"Hermione," Ginny started, her cheeks wet with tears and her nose running, "I don't know if we can make this work?" She confessed as her friend opened the door to her family home. Hermione stared at her best friend, her arm automatically wrapping around the younger girls shoulders.  
"What happened, Gin?" She asked soothingly, steering her inside.  
"Harry and I had another fight…" Ginny said softly, her eyes still brimming with tears as she looked away from her friend.  
"About what?" Hermione asked, her voice full of worry.  
"He proposed –"  
"What?! Ginny!"  
"…and I said no." Ginny finished, looking down at her hands. There was a silence in the room, and Hermione thought about what to say.  
"Understandably," Hermione finally conceded after considering it for a second.

"Hermione, what should I do?"  
"What do you want? Do you want to marry him?" Hermione asked her now less emotional friend.  
"I don't know, maybe. Not now, though?" Ginny sighed.  
"Then tell him that?" Hermione offered. There was another pause before Ginny spoke again:  
"We keep fighting? It's like we can't go a couple weeks without one."  
"I think you just need to talk about it?" Hermione said softly as the friends walked to the door.  
"Thanks Hermione."  
"Anytime," she smiled, wrapping her arms around Ginny before waving her off.

Ginny arrived at Grimmauld place and gave a few sharp knocks at the door, then waited. After a few seconds, Kreacher answered the door.  
"Master Harry says he doesn't want to see the Weasley girl."  
"Kreacher, please?" Ginny said softly as she looked down at the House Elf.  
"Master is very unhappy, can you make him not unhappy?"  
"I can try?" As Ginny said this, the House Elf stepped aside, allowing her to enter the house. She walked down the hall and into the living room but did not see him. "Kreacher, where is he?"  
"Master Sirius' room, Ma'am." Kreacher bowed low before disappearing into the kitchen. Ginny followed his words and walked up the staircase until she stood before the open door of Sirius' old room. Inside, Harry was slouched on the side of the bed – his eyes staring straight at one of the photos Sirius had magically glued to the wall.  
"Harry?" She whispered, not wanting to spook him. But he did not respond. "Harry?" She tried again, a little bit louder. Nothing. "Harry, I'm sorry," she said walking into the room and taking a seat beside him.

"You have to try to understand where I'm coming from?" She decided to just talk, since he was still ignoring her. "You have such a strong desire to find 'perfection' in everyday life. Then you fix your eyes on 'perfection' and you make almost everything speed towards it," she noticed him tense up beside her, so she reached out her hand to take his – and was relieved when he did not stop her.

"But what we have here, it's not perfect," she took a deep breath and hoped that this worked. "We're not ready for the next level, because we can barely handle this one. We don't talk about our problems until we fight – and we don't see each other's problems because we're too afraid to." She turned to face him and saw that he was finally looking at her. "I love you, Harry, more than I've ever loved anyone. But we can't handle a marriage… not until we've handled a proper relationship." Once she had finished they just sat there for a few seconds, until finally he spoke.  
"You're right, Ginny. I was trying to rush this because I'm always thinking that if we don't keep moving I'll lose you," he admitted softly.  
"You'll never lose me. Not by my choice, at least!"  
"I'm sorry, Ginny." And with that he kissed her, and she knew that they were okay again.

* * *

 **A/N: Words - 1,042**

 **Written for the Flying Lessons - Speed.**

 **Used Prompt - A major Argument.**

 **I do not own anything.**


	4. Different Than Before

**Different Than Before**

"I just don't get it! Why is it this hard?" He ran his hands through his untidy black hair, his green eyes shining with frustration. The ground around them was wet, the dew seeping through their clothes, though neither seemed to mind. It was too early to talk inside, so when Harry had arrived and begged to talk to Ginny, they had made their way down past the shed and towards the edge of the field. Harry had been in his office – finishing off the paper work he had been made to repeat for the third time – when his boss had told him to go home. Harry had not realised how late it was until he had arrived to find the entire Weasley house asleep.

Ginny looked at him as they sat together in the grass, her lips were slightly upturned in an amused sort of way.  
"I've saved the world before! I can follow orders… I mean…" he mumbled a few words and laid his head back in the grass.  
"Can you?" Ginny smiled. Her eyes were trained on him, watching his every movement like they mattered.  
"Of course I can!" Harry replied adamantly.  
"When was the last time you weren't in charge of what was happening? When you weren't calling the shots?" Harry was silent for a moment, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "You have to stick it out, try again and this time – don't mention that you're the ' _chosen one'_ when your boss asks why you think you're more experienced in fighting evil than he is."  
"But I –"  
"Doesn't mean he wants to hear it." She smiled, lying beside him, staring at the glowing stars twinkling in the soon to be light sky.

"You're lucky you don't have to deal with 'work', it's so much harder than Hogwarts," Harry sighed softly, reaching a hand out to entwine in hers.  
"Yeah… lucky. You're lucky you never had to deal with the final exams. I haven't even gone back to Hogwarts and Mum is already on me about studying." They both continued to stare at the sky, the soft breeze turning colder as the night wore on. "I really don't want to go back next week," Ginny muttered venomously.  
"Back to school already? Where did summer go?"  
"I have no idea?! Only one more year though…" Her eyes were bright as she stared at the heavens, "I have to hold on for only one more year."

They lay together in the grass as the stars glimmered until the sun rose from its' bed. With telling groans, they managed to lift themselves to their feet, brushing off the grass that accumulated on their clothes. The pair both sighed as they made their way back to the burrow, preparing themselves for what was to come.  
"I don't know if I'll be able to come see you… so that leaves what… Christmas?" He tried not to sound too worried as he looked back at his girlfriend, but traitorous sadness flowed from him.  
"That's so far away," she groaned, and quickly wrapped her arms around his chest. He returned her hug; his nose finding the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent.  
"We can do it," he said softly. "We'll write letters, and you can sneak to the fire late at night…" Harry trailed off, remembering all the times he had broken the rules to send a message out of Hogwarts. "Everything will be fine."  
"But I'll miss you."  
"We managed it during the war… we can do it again. Besides – it's not like either of us is in much danger anymore." Ginny nodded, heaving a woeful sigh as they made it back to the burrow.  
"Breakfast?" She asked softly, nodding towards the front door.  
"If I don't go soon, I'll be late – and _Harvey hates the tardy_!" Harry quoted, rolling his eyes. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek as he headed in the opposite direction, looking back once to see her leaning against the door frame, a soft smile on her lips. _Christmas wouldn't come soon enough._

* * *

 **A/N: Words - 681**

 **Flying Lessons #4 - "When you're sure you've had enough, of this life/Well hold on" - _Everybody Hurts, R.E.M AND_ (plot) People are watching the stars in the story**

 **Sept Event - 20. (dialogue) "Back to school already? Where did summer go?"**


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